What is a Spike-and-Ferrule?

Full definition

Spike-and-ferrule was the standard residential gutter mounting from roughly 1960 through the 1990s. The hardware is simple: a 7-8 inch nail driven through the front lip of the gutter, through a metal sleeve (the 'ferrule') that maintains the gutter shape, and into the fascia behind.

The problem: nails loosen over decades of thermal cycling. Spike-and-ferrule gutters in KC typically fail at 25-30 years — sagging mid-run, then pulling off entirely. They are the #1 cause of premature gutter failure in the KC metro. Modern installers use hidden hangers instead.

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